Author Topic: my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?  (Read 2049 times)

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Offline 3roomlabTopic starter

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my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?
« on: June 03, 2019, 09:35:07 pm »
so I was just browsing some weather instruments (air temperature)
browsing by picture search
this appeared


from here
http://www.hiilipuu.fi/articles/air-temperature

there are globe thermometers
but those are black

so what instrument is this?
 :-//
 

Online Gyro

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Re: my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2019, 09:59:35 pm »
Sunlight recorder?
Best Regards, Chris
 

Offline GrahamC

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Re: my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2019, 12:22:35 am »
that is an interesting device.

I have a background in meteorology and instruments but I have never seen one like that.

I am pretty sure it is not a sunlight recorder.

I looked around on the website linked to and found a list of instruments that in use at the Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station

http://www.eusaar.net/upload/SMEAR2.pdf

only logical device is something to do with measuring solar radiation and it certainly looks the part. Possibly a device like this:

http://www.imt-solar.com/fileadmin/docs/en/products/Pyranometer_E.pdf

It will be interesting to see if someone knows for certain what this device is.

cheers, Graham
 
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Offline ArthurDent

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Re: my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2019, 03:16:11 am »
I think you've got the answer. Here is a drawing of a device that looks like it has most of the elements of the one you've shown. Note there are three leveling screws in the photo you posted, two short rusty ones and one bright shiny one with a locking bolt in the middle. These would serve the same function as the level adjusters in the drawing below. The two wires in your photo could come from the thermopile inside the glass globe like the drawing shows. Thermoelectric pyranometer.

 
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Offline LateLesley

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Re: my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2019, 03:45:39 am »
Wow! What an interesting device. I'd never heard of it. I did some googling, and found an article which explains the history and how they work. So I thought I'd share it with you all, if you are interested.

https://www.kippzonen.com/News/572/The-Working-Principle-of-a-Thermopile-Pyranometer

I hadn't even heard of a thermopile. :) This is why I love this place, it's an education.
 
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Offline 3roomlabTopic starter

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Re: my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2019, 07:37:22 am »
I went for a little stroll at digikey etc
nothing discretized when it comes to thermopile, I assume these things dont exist as "components" ?
 

Offline ArthurDent

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Re: my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2019, 12:31:00 pm »
Thermopiles are widely used today in gas furnaces and fireplaces. Here is a photo of one opened and a video that shows how these work.


 
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Offline 3roomlabTopic starter

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Re: my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2019, 03:14:41 pm »
these components can be so full of voodoo
thermopile vs pyroelectric.
 
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Offline Nerull

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Re: my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2019, 05:24:13 pm »
A thermopile is just a bunch of thermocouples in series, they're inside every TEG/Peltier.
« Last Edit: June 04, 2019, 05:27:38 pm by Nerull »
 

Online tszaboo

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Re: my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2019, 06:48:31 pm »
Thermoelectric pyranometer.
I just confirmed it with a specialist. It is indeed a so-called "global irradiance sensor" or Pyranometer.
 
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Offline lordvader88

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Re: my turn to ask - what contraption is this ?
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2019, 07:02:06 am »
parking meter..ding ding
 
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